Posing
by Beth - Geek Chick
Summary: Stu and Annie pose as models. Repost.


Title: Posing

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Chapters: 10, Words: 20,585

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

"That's all I got. Anything else?" Arthur Campbell looked expectantly at the group assembled around his desk. All respective department heads, including Joan, who had watched him through the entire proceedings with a mix of desire and professionalism. His eyes were pulled away from her, though, as Harris from the DST spoke up.

"I got something that's up your alley," he said, pulling a folder out of his briefcase and tossing it on Arthur's desk. Settling back in his chair, he allowed the info printed on the paper speak for himself, smirking all the while. It wasn't often that he got a rise out of the head of the National Clandestine Service, so he sat back and waited.

Arthur waited for the man to give him a summary of the case, but as silence filled the room, he quickly flipped the file open and began reading. Suspect: Victor Smith. Alias. Real name unknown. Charges: suspected of using models as mules to run drugs and terrorist intel. Occupation: fashion photographer. Currently engaged in creating coffee table book tentatively called "World Beauty."

He'd gotten halfway through the first page when he looked up at Harris, who sat grinning at him like the Cheshire Cat. "I thought April Fool's Day was last month," Arthur frowned. "If you need something to occupy your time other than creating practical jokes, Harris, my car needs washed."

Letting out a bark of laughter, Harris sat forward. "It's no joke, Arthur. Everything you read is absolutely true."

"And it requires the services of the DCI how?"

"Let me give you some background," Harris said, lacing his fingers together. "Last night, two people, a Jamir Abeel and Amy Scott, were stopped by customs at the airport with a sizable stash of heroin. As they were being interrogated, their bags were searched, and a thumb drive was found. It contained high-level security information and terrorist targets. We were called in. I had my people go through it with a fine-tooth comb, and it's legitimate.

"Now, these two people, models, by the way, claim no knowledge of the thumb drive, never seen it before in their lives. Said they were on their way to London for a fashion shoot, and the drugs were a present to the photographer. The thumb drive was well-hidden in the man's suitcase."

"They had no knowledge of it? Where were they last?" Arthur asked, his interest piqued.

"That's where it gets tricky. Seems these two are quite the jetsetters, and they've spent the past month flitting from city to city through the U.S. on assignment, living out of their suitcase," Harris said. "No way to pinpoint when the drive was planted on them."

Curious, Joan piped up, "They've only been picked up last night. How did you get all this information?"

"Because they're scared shitless, if you'll pardon my phrasing," Harris said with a nod to the blonde department head. "Once they heard that the amount of heroin found on them warranted a felony charge, they started crowing like a rooster at sunrise."

Cocking an eyebrow at the man's colloquial summation, Arthur opened the file again, reading further. "So we've got the thumb drive, a destination where it was headed, and a fake name. Any info on the photographer?"

"Not under that name, and all the Jamie and Amy could provide was an address of where they were to report once they landed in London. Seems they'd never even met the man before," Harris explained. "They were chosen, through their agency, from an online profile of them."

Arthur sat back in his chair, thinking. Getting the thumb drive was a stroke of luck, but seeing as it was headed out of the country to someone who at first glance had no use for it? The whole story intrigued him.

"So what do you want to do?" Harris asked.

"We need to get to the photographer, see why he's the recipient of such information, and take it from there," Arthur decided. "The words of a couple of hapless civilians aren't much to go on."

"And how do you intend to get to this photographer?" Joan asked, a small smile on her face.

Arthur quickly flipped through the file to the mugshots of the arrested couple. What he saw made him chuckle, and looking toward his wife, he broke into a wide grin. "Remind you of anyone, Joan?"

Reaching out for the picture Arthur handed her, Joan smiled. Other than the tawny brown hair, Miss Amy Scott could have passed for the sister of one of her brightest new agents. "Annie Walker. But what does that have to do with this case?"

Clasping his fingers together, he said confidently, "Jamir and Amy will resume their trip to London and pass the intel to this Victor Smith. The drugs, of course, will have to be a lost cause. Even I can't sanction that kind of tradeoff."

Suddenly getting his meaning, Joan nodded. It was an inspired plan. "I'll inform Annie, though I think she may balk at having to become a brunette for a while. So who will stand in for this Jamir?"

Looking down at the file, Arthur pulled out the photo. Jamir Abeel was handsome, young, and of obvious Middle Eastern descent. Nobody came to mind immediately, so he tossed the photo to Joan. "Find someone. When are they due in London?" he asked, turning to Harris.

"They were flying there last night, but they're not due to meet with Victor Smith for another three days. Said they were going to take in the sights of the city, so they were leaving early," Harris supplied.

"You've got a couple days, Joan, to set this up," Arthur said, handing the entire folder to her. "If there's nothing else, this meeting is over."

As she neared her office, Joan took the photo of Jamir Abeel out of the folder and studied it. He was a striking man, even in the harsh glare of the mugshot photo, and leaning against the railing outside her office, she flipped through the folder until she found his personal details. Born in America of Iranian immigrants. Dark hair, dark eyes. His features were unmistakably Middle Eastern. And, Joan though with a sigh, as ethnically diverse as her department was, she couldn't think of one agent that could pose as Jamir.

The closest that came to it was Jai Wilcox, but since the photographer had already seen a picture of Jamir, it'd be difficult to explain the darker skin tone and angular features. Jamir's was more dusky, and his face rounded and smooth.

Turning around, Joan placed her hands on the rail and looked down into the bullpen at the scurrying agents and support personnel. Nobody in view resembled the man. Sighing in frustration, she set her eyes on Jai. Squinting, she thought, maybe if Jai were willing to undergo full body makeup?

As the thought crossed her mind, Jai turned to speak to someone who'd come up to him. Joan recognized him as one of Auggie's tech support people. And as he spoke to Jai, Joan mouth opened. No way, she thought, opening up the file again and pulling out Jamir's picture. Looking quickly between the two, she couldn't believe it. Though Stu's hair was a bit longer, his resemblance to the arrested model was uncanny.

But, Joan reminded herself, he wasn't an agent. From the little she knew of the man, he'd spent the handful of years he'd been there in the four walls of the building. Arthur wasn't going to like it, but giving another sweeping glance around her department, they didn't have much choice.

Tucking the folder under her arm, she headed back to Arthur's office.

Looking up from his laptop, Arthur watched his wife saunter into his office. From the look on her face, he wasn't sure if she was about to tell him she couldn't make it to dinner that night, or that she'd broken a heel on her favorite pair of shoes.

Joan sat the folder on Arthur's desk and perched on the edge of it. "I have no agents that resemble Jamir Abeel," she said plainly.

"You were only gone 15 minutes, honey. Surely you could give it more thought?"

"I know every detail of every agent in the DPD, and believe me when I tell you that none could pass as Jamir Abeel," Joan said.

Sighing, Arthur leaned back in his desk. "Guess we're going to have to look elsewhere, though time is short. Maybe -"

As his voice trailed off, Joan spoke up. "There is one man that could pass for Jamir's twin brother, but -"

"But what?" Arthur interrupted. "I thought you said none of your agents looked like him."

"None of them do. The man I'm thinking of is part of the support team."

"Who is it?" Arthur asked.

"Stuart Heatherton," Joan said simply.

"The name sounds famliar," Arthur said, turning to his computer and pulling up the DCI personnel records. "Heatherton, you say?"

Joan nodded. "I don't know about this, Arthur. Sending a support member in place of an agent seems awfully risky to me. Do you think we could pull in a favor to one of the other agencies? Surely they -"

Joan stopped speaking as Arthur raised his hand to her. Looking over his shoulder at the monitor, she saw Stu's picture on the screen, alongside his personnel information that Arthur was currently poring over.

"Have you read this?" he asked, turning to her.

"I'm not in the habit of using personnel records as light reading, no," Joan said. "What have you found?"

Arthur pointed at the screen where Stu's list of prior employment was listed. It was short, as he was only in his mid-20s, and he'd been in government service for three years. Following Arthur's index finger, Joan read.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she exclaimed. "Stuart Heatherton, audio/visual analyst of technical operations, modeled his way through MIT?"

Arthur smiled wide at the shocked look on his wife's face. "Looks like you've got your 'in' into the world of high fashion modeling, Joan. Talk to him, see if he's up for it. Have you spoken to Annie yet?"

Her mind still reeling a bit, Joan picked up the folder she'd placed on Arthur's desk. "No, but I will soon. Thanks, Arthur."

"Joan!" Arthur called out as he watched her walk away. "Dinner tonight?"

Turning on her heel, she smiled at her husband. "Come by my office around 6:00."

Then, with a wink, she left the office and headed toward Auggie's office. Sliding the door open, she walked in. "Auggie."

"Joan, what can I do for you?" Auggie said, smiling towards his boss.

"Nothing you can do, personally. Where is Stuart Heatherton?" Joan asked, looking around the office.

"Stu?" Auggie asked, perplexed. "He went to get some coffee."

"Have him report to my office in 15 minutes," Joan said, walking out. On her way to her office, she passed by Annie Walker's desk, where the blonde agent sat, talking on the phone.

Seeing her boss walk up, Annie said into the receiver, "Could you hold on a minute?"

"Briefing in my office in 15 minutes," Joan ordered as Annie looked up to her. Then striding away, she made her way back up the stairs.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Five minutes after Joan left, Annie walked over to tech ops and slid open the door. "Hey, Auggie, where's Stu with those coffees? I've got a briefing in ten minutes, and I could use the caffeine."

Auggie shrugged, "He should be back anytime now. Hope he gets back soon. Joan's asked to see him."

Annie groaned and leaned against the door frame. She'd just returned from a four-day jaunt out of country and was looking forward to a couple days rest before anything else came up. For now, though, she'd settle for a cup of coffee.

"Oh, here he comes now," she said, smiling warmly at the man who walked quickly up to her, carrying a cardboard tray of lidded cups. "My hero, thank you," she said, accepting hers and downing a mouthful.

"Auggie, at your 12 on your desk," Stu said, setting down the cup before removing his and tossing the carrying tray in the garbage can.

"Thanks," Auggie said, then as he heard him leaving, he said, "Not so fast. You better drink that now. Joan wants to see you in her office."

Turning back to Auggie, Stu's eyes widened. "Wants to see me? Why would she want to see me? She's never asked to see me before."

"Don't know, just came in here five - no, seven minutes ago and said to tell you to be in her office in 15 minutes. So drink up," Auggie said, picking his own cup up off his desk.

Setting his cup down on his desk on the other side of the office, Stu grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and slipped it on. He had no reason to be nervous, he knew, but usually when Joan needed something, she'd tell Auggie, and he'd pass it on to his crew. He began thinking back over the past few days, but nothing he'd done would warrant a call into the boss's office.

Auggie listened to his co-worker's frantic movements and frowned. He knew Joan was a tough boss, but if Stu went into this meeting shaking like a leaf, he'd do more harm than good. He was about to open his mouth to say so, when Annie piped up from the doorway.

"I'm headed to Joan's office, as well. Why don't we go up together?" she asked, watching with sympathy as Stu straightened his sleeves and adjusted his tie. Then, as his hands started running through his hair, she walked across the room, catching a similar sympathetic look on Auggie's face.

"Hey, don't worry. Joan doesn't bite. Maybe she just wants you to do her a favor or something," she said.

Making sure his appearance was as neat as he could make it in the few minutes he had to him, Stu picked up his coffee and took a deep swallow of the iced coffee. "I know, just want to make a good impression."

Then, turning again to Auggie, he said, "You sure she didn't tell you what this is about?"

"Not a word," Auggie said. "Go on up with Annie. You'll be fine."

Nodding, Stu took another drink and sat the cup on his desk. "She won't mind if we're early, will she?"

"Don't know," Annie said with a laugh. "Don't know of anyone who's ever done that."

"Oh, then I guess we should wait, then?" Stu asked, looking at her, his nervousness rising again.

"Annie, get him out of here," Auggie said, smiling, "before he starts breaking a sweat."

Shooting a glare across the room, Annie hooked her hand through Stu's elbow. Looking up at his worried face, she said, "Come on, we won't walk too fast."

Stu knocked on Joan's door, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. There really was nothing to worry about, he thought. Maybe Annie was right, and Joan just needed him to do a favor for her. He felt Annie squeeze his elbow before she released it, and they entered the room to Joan's command.

Looking up from her computer, Joan saw Stu and Annie standing in the doorway. "Come in, you two. Annie, if you'd look over this while I talk to Stuart here, I'll be with you in a minute," she said, handing a copy of the case folder to her.

"Stuart, please have a seat," she said, motioning to the chair in front of her desk. When he was settled, and Annie sat on her couch, she dove straight in. "Tell me about your work prior to coming here. Your personnel file noted that you used to be a model?"

Annie jerked her head up at Joan's statement. Stu used to be a model? Knowing she shouldn't eavesdrop, she nonetheless kept her ears open as she flipped through the papers.

Somewhat confused by the department head's line of questioning, Stu confessed, "Well, yes, just to pay my way through college. I had some, well, problems on the financial end, and when a scout approached me with the offer, I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

Seeing the stoic look on her face, Stu's palms began to sweat. "It was nothing salacious. Just some catalog work and a few magazine layouts. I only did it for two years, until I graduated."

"Which was a few years ago, I see. So you still retain that knowledge?" Joan asked.

"Well, yes, but -"

"Good. Now, according to your record, you're a first-generation American? Parents immigrated from Pakistan some decades ago?"

The jump in topic made Stu's mind reel. What was she getting at? Was he being fired for his past? "Yes, they live in Florida now, but, director, I went through and passed the most stringest of security clearances. There is nothing in my past or my family's past that would cause a breach. I mean, just ask the polygraph guy."

"What are you talking about?" Joan asked, raising her eyebrows at him. "I didn't say anything about a security breach."

"But - well, you asked -" Stu stammered, then fell quiet.

Shaking her head at the nervous young man, she wondered if her idea was at all feasible. "Stuart, I asked you in here because I have a request to make of you."

Stu nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"A case has come up that we need your help with. Now, you have every right to refuse, as it's something quite out of the ordinary," Joan continued.

"Whatever you need, Joan," Stu replied.

"You haven't even heard what I'm going to ask you yet," Joan said. Then, looking straight at him, she laid her proposal on the table. "I need two people, a male and a female, to take the place of two fashion models who were recently arrested. Classified intel was found in their possession, and we're following the trail to see where it goes."

As she handed him a similar folder as she'd given Annie, Stu said, "And you need me to act as handler?"

"No," Joan said. "I need you to take the place of the male."

"But I'm not an agent," Stu said, looking up from the file he had opened.

Joan closed her eyes for a brief second. It's like pulling water from a stone, she thought. "Understood, but the ones I send need to resemble these models. If you'll take a look at some of the pictures?"

Still slightly confused, Stu flipped through the papers until he came to several photos. He started at first, thinking Joan was playing a joke on him by inserting old pictures of himself from his modeling days, but looking closer, he saw that the man in the pictures was, indeed, someone else. Jamir Abeel, as he read on the caption. Wow, he thought. He could be his twin brother.

"You want me to go out in the field? As an agent?" he asked.

"Yes," Joan said. "Now, I know you haven't been sanctioned for field work, but we're on a tight deadline, and none of my agents resembles Mr. Abeel as much as you do. You can say no if you want, but our options are extremely limited at this point."

Stu pondered her words for a minute. What she said was true, his work for the CIA, while interesting and exciting, all took place within the concrete walls of the DPD. He'd never done anything even close to what she was proposing. Still, though, being so cloistered had been almost too safe. He sometimes wondered at the lives of the agents sent out into the field. What they'd experienced and the great work they did.

And now, he had a chance to experience it himself. It wasn opportunity he couldn't pass up. Still, though, one question worried him. "Who will be posing as the female model?"

She was so sure he'd refuse, the question startled Joan. Then, smiling broadly, she looked over at the blonde agent watching them from the couch. "Annie, if you'd join us now?"

Annie stood, walked across the room and settled into the chair beside Stu. She had read through the file in the first couple of minutes and knew what Joan would be assigning her to do. She'd seen the photo of the female agent, and was as startled as Stu at the similarity between him and Jamir. Though she wasn't too happy at the fact that Amy was a brunette, she figured the op was much more exciting than her recent adventures.

"Annie will pose as Amy. She will handle all of the agent duties. Your knowledge and expertise in the fashion world will help us pull off this ruse. As I'm sure you can tell by the photographs, you'll both need to report downstairs for some tweaking. You leave in two days. A more detailed briefing will be held before your departure. In the meantime, memorize everything in these files. Dismissed."

As soon as the door closed behind them, Stu exhaled deeply and leaned against the railing. "Wow, did what just happened, just happen?" he asked Annie.

"Seems so," Annie said, joining him at the rail. "You're going out into the field, Agent Heatherton. Come on," she said, hooking her arm in his elbow. "I can't wait to see Auggie's face when we tell him the good news."

Stu nodded and returned her smile. As they began to walk towards the stairs, he glanced down at Annie's hand as it wrapped around his upper arm. "Uhh, Annie, I'm really all right. You don't have to hold me up."

"Oh, didn't you read all the file? Jamir and Amy are together. Thought we'd get in some practice before we leave," Annie said, giving his arm a squeeze.

Allowing himself to be pulled down the hall, Stu gulped. Not only was he going out into the field, but he'd have to pose as one-half of a loving couple?

That thought, though, was relegated to the back of his mind as something else Joan said came back to him. "What exactly did Joan mean about tweaking?" he asked. His only answer was a light chuckle from the blonde on his arm.

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Annie walked through the bullpen self-consciously fingering her now straight brown locks. Though she tried to convince Padgett, their "disguise guru," she'd get by with a wig, he refused. Seems past experience had taught him that all CIA officers and agents that to truly create a convincing disguise, wigs and toupees were useless.

She did manage to talk him into a temporary color, though. Even if he did promise to restore her blonde after, she wasn't entirely convinced. She was headed to her desk when she noticed how many of her co-workers had stopped what they were doing and were now staring in her direction. Turning on her heel, she headed the other way and walked into Auggie's office.

She needed somewhere to hide until Stu was done with his "tweaking," as Joan called it. Though he just needed a haircut, Jamir's obvious "metro" look required some styling skills that Stu had to master. He seemed uncomfortable with Padgett's attentions and her watching, so she said she'd meet up back up in the DPD.

"Hey, Auggie, mind if I hang out in here for a bit?"

Startled, Auggie turned in his desk chair, his hands leaving the Braille monitor. Pulling his headphones down to his neck, he said, "Annie, is it true?"

"Yes, Auggie, I'm now a brunette," Annie said with a laugh.

"No, no," Auggie said, motioning frantically with his hand to his computer. "Joan's just sent me the case file. I was reading it. What is she doing sending Stu out into the field?"

Annie jumped a bit at the harshness of his voice. He stood, beginning to pace behind his desk. "Is that what she called him up into her office for? To pose as this - this model guy?"

"Yes," Annie said. "Why are you so upset?"

"Why? Stu's never worked outside these walls, outside this department. He's an a/v tech, Annie. He's -" Auggie shook his head, placing his hands on the back of his chair and dropping his chin down to his chest. "It was bad enough when Arthur was assigning you on dangerous cases fresh off the Farm, now they're doing it to someone who's never had that kind of training at all?"

"Auggie, Joan gave him the option of not accepting. She didn't force this on him," Annie said slowly. "Whatever you think of Joan, this wasn't her fault. As far as I understand, Stu could pass for this Jamir guy's brother. She couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"There's always options," Auggie spit out harshly.

"Not in this case, there isn't," Annie said matter-of-factedly. "Besides, I'm going with him." Walking up to him, she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Trust me, Auggie. I'll make sure nothing happens to him."

Still feeling the tenseness in his shoulder, Annie continued, "I know how you feel. I wasn't too keen on this at first, either. And I know how protective you get when it comes to your friends. But I really think Stu wants to do this."

They stood like that for another minute before Annie felt the tension leave Auggie. Sliding her hand off his shoulder, she turned to leave. She heard him sit back down in his chair. "Annie?"

"Yeah?" she asked, turning at the door.

"You still got that number I gave you last fall? Before you went off to Sri Lanka?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Never used it, though. I didn't even know it was still active," Annie said with a chuckle, leaning against the door jam.

"It's still active," he said, his eyes lighting up. "Make sure both you and Stu have a copy of it. Can't have all my friends thrown out into the world without some protection."

"Okay," Annie said, sliding open the door. She'd barely taken a step out, though, when the sight before her stopped her in her tracks. Walking through the glass doors of the DPD was Stu, but a Stu she'd never seen before in her life.

His hair was shorter, slicked back with just the hint of a faux-hawk. Instead of the staid dark grey suit, a black t-shirt stretched over his shoulders, and a leather vest covered his chest. Loose designer jeans hung on his slim waist, and his dress shoes had been replaced with - oh, my, were those cowboy boots?

He dragged a suitcase behind him, and as he walked into the main room, all noise stopped as heads swung around. He hadn't noticed the interest, though, until a low wolf whistle echoed through the room.

Stu stopped walking and looked around to see all eyes in the bullpen were on him. A furious blush stained his cheeks, and he walked faster, quickening his step until he got to tech ops. Stepping past a similarly gawking Annie through the doorway, he set the suitcase beside his desk and sat down.

"Mr. Abeel, I assume?" Auggie asked with a smirk.

"Can it, Anderson," Stu growled, and seeing that Annie was still staring at him from the doorway, he fixed a glare on her that would melt ice. She quickly averted her gaze and shut the door, taking a couple of steps inside.

"I can't believe I agreed to do this," Stu said, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling.

"Don't see how you can complain, considering what I just heard. That was a catcall, wasn't it, Annie?" Auggie teased. Not hearing a response from the woman to his right, he laughed. "Even got Annie tongue-tied. What exactly did they do to you downstairs in the CIA beauty parlor?"

Geez, Stu thought, can't even get any peace in my own office. Standing suddenly, he grabbed the suitcase. "Come on, Annie. We've got work to do." Taking the now brunette agent by the elbow, he left tech ops and headed down the hall to an empty conference room, ignoring the multiple gazes on them the entire way.

Annie watched Stu as he set the suitcase down on the table and opened it. He began to pull various items of clothing out of it, separating them into two piles. "Where'd you get the threads?" she asked.

"They were brought over earlier. Since Jamir and Amy are in custody, their stuff was confiscated. What size are you?" he asked, holding up a pair of Amy's heavily embroidered jeans.

"Uhh, none of your business," Annie said, jerking them out of his hands.

Stu laughed at the indignant look on her face. If he had to spend a week dressed up in ridiculous outfits, at least wasn't alone, he thought, picking up what at first appeared to be a piece of netting. Holding it up, though, he surmised it was a shirt of some kind.

"Annie? Would this be Jamir's or Amy's?" he asked, trying not to smile.

"Umm, it's see-through, Stu. What do you think?"

"So?" Stu asked, shrugging his shoulders. "A black bra under it, and you'd be covered enough."

Grabbing it out of his hands, Annie said, "Just, let me sort the clothes, okay?"

"Whatever you say," Stu said, still chuckling. When he'd gone through the clothes initially, he saw that Jamir's taste ran towards the metro look, a lot of jeans, leather, expensive shirts and the like. Amy, however, leaned toward the eclectic side, with items that looked like they came straight out of a vintage shop. Reading the labels, though, he knew they were very expensive.

"If you'd turn your back? I'd like to try these jeans on," Annie said. When Stu obliged, she slid out of her skirt and pulled the soft denim up her legs. "Oops, guess these are out of the question. How tall was this Amy?"

"5'9", I think her file said," Stu said, turning back around. "Why?"

Annie pointed to her feet, where only her toes peeked through the bottom of the fabric. "She has a couple of inches on me. The hair I can dye. How am I supposed to grow three inches in two days?"

"Ohh," Stu said, standing. At 5'10", his height was the same as Jamir's, and he assumed Annie's was, as well, but as he looked down at her, he realized the heels she usually wore added onto her height. "You should be fine. Most models fudge their numbers. Just keep the heels on."

Annie slipped her stilettos on and stood again. "How does that look?" she said, turning around.

Watching as she executed a pirouette, complete with an absolutely convincing model-like pose at the end, it was Stu's turn to be flabbergasted. "Wow, you look great, Annie." The jeans molded her curvy figure perfectly, the gold embroidering climbing lazily up one leg, ending curled around the back pocket.

"Doesn't really match, though," he said, pointing to her conservative blue blouse.

"Oh, you're right," Annie said, sorting through the items until she came across a gold-colored peasant shirt. "Would this be okay?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"You're the former model here, not me," Annie said, motioning for him to turn around again. When he obliged, she slipped out of her blouse and pulled the flowy fabric over her head. "Why didn't you tell anyone about that?"

"It was just something to keep me through college. Besides, it wasn't anything, really," Stu said, turning back to the clothing.

"Don't be so modest. Considering what you look like now, I'm sure you were very successful," Annie said, folding the rest of Amy's clothing. "Do you have any photos of yourself?"

Stu looked over at her, cocking an eyebrow. "You know what I look like, Annie."

"I know, but I'm going to need some modeling and posing tips if I'm going to pull this off. I figure looking over photographs could help," Annie said. Well, it was partly true, she thought. She did need a crash course in how the high fashion world worked, but she was intrigued at this sudden transformation of the formerly staid, quiet tech analyst.

Stu sighed. He hoped it wouldn't have to come to this, and he'd be able to keep his own past where it belonged. "You really want to see them?"

"Yes, please," Annie said.

Stu sat down at the computer in the conference room, and after a few minutes, he motioned Annie to join him. "The modeling agency, apparently, never deleted these. They're not much, but -"

"Wow," Annie exclaimed. "Those are - beautiful."

Blushing again for the second time that day, Stu turned away and headed back to the stacks of clothes on the table. "Yeah, well, the photographer's very talented, and, you know, there's retouching and all that."

"Don't be so modest," Annie admonished him. "The man I see in front of me is the same man in those pictures. You could have had a real career here. Why'd you give it up?"

"It's not as glamorous as you think, Annie," Stu said. "Everybody, everything, it's just all so superficial, shallow. No friends, or true friends, actually. If you think backstabbing and lying is relegated to the bad guys you go after, you haven't seen anything yet."

"So you walked away?" Annie asked, walking over to him.

"I had to. Sure, the money was good, but I felt so lost and alone most of the time," Stu said contemplatively. "I took my degree and decided to find a real job and real friends."

"And you've got both now," Annie said, smiling. "And, at least for the next several days, you've also got a girlfriend," she said, curling her fingers around his arm. "So, shall we get down to practicing?"

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Joan fingered the stacks of files on the table in front of her, watching as those she'd called to the briefing trickled in. Reminder to self, she thought, do not schedule meetings or briefings directly after the lunch hour.

She slid the files down the table as the handful of officers and support personnel she requested sat down. Auggie took up his place at the end of the table, and she handed his file down the line. Now all she needed were the two people going on this mission. "Auggie, where are Annie and Stu?"

"On their way," Auggie replied with a half-hidden smile. Joan was about to ask him what was so funny when the door opened again, and the undercover couple walked in. Joan's mouth dropped open. All heads save Auggie's swiveled.

Annie ignored the stares - in fact, she'd done so for the past 24 hours - and led Stu to the final two chairs near Joan. Once they were seated, she looked up at Joan, who was now looking at her with narrowed eyes. "Yes, Joan? Is something wrong?"

"Any reason why you and Stuart look like you've just gotten back from clubbing?" Joan asked, eyeing their outfits. Stu had on what looked like a silk dark red shirt with dark jeans, and Annie wore one of Amy's wrap dresses that, with one pull on the tie at her waist, would leave her in her underwear.

"These are Jamir and Amy's clothes, confiscated when they were arrested. Believe me, I doubt very highly I could ever afford clothes this expensive," Annie explained.

Nodding, Joan said, "Very well. Padgett did a good job on the both of you, by the way. Have you been reading Stuart up on what's to be expected?"

"Yes," Stu spoke up from beside Annie. "She's been a very good teacher. I also gave her some tips on what's to be expected from her when we get to the photo shoot. Regarding that," Stu said, sliding two small black binders down the table to Joan, "when we get there, we'll be expected to have our portfolios with us. I set these up for us last night."

Joan picked up the binders and flipped through them, noting the half-dozen or so photos of Annie in one and Stu in the other. "You did this?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, I know they're not the quality's not that great, but we don't have much time -"

"No, these are actually really good," Joan said. Flipping open the case file, she pulled the photos of Jamir and Amy out, comparing her two employees to them. With the haircut, clothes and Stu's expertise in photography, she wouldn't have known the difference between the two. "Great work, Stuart. I wouldn't have thought to do this."

Stu shrugged, unused to such praise. "Just doing my part."

Joan handed the portfolios back to Stu and began her briefing. "Since we've got the covers down, all we have to do is concentrate on tagging that thumb drive and what to do with Victor. Auggie?"

"All set. A replica has been made of the thumb drive, with GPS tracking. We're thinking that Victor will retrieve it from Jamir and Amy's suitcase when they arrive."

"Then we'll track it to its source," Joan said, nodding. "You got their cellphones ready?" At Auggie's nod, she turned again to Stu.

"Before we go any further, Stuart, are you sure you're up for this? I have never sent a non-agent on a mission, and once you're out there, you're on your own." Seeing the man's wide eyes blink up at her, she continued, "Annie will be there with you, yes, but I don't want you to go into this without knowing thinking it'll be a walk in the park."

His boss's warning settled heavily on Stu, and for a second, he thought of backing out. He glanced over at Annie, and seeing the proud and reassuring look on her face, he nodded. "I can do it, Joan."

"Excellent," she replied. Turning to the rest of the assembled team, she said, "Let's all go over it once more."

An hour later, once everyone in the room had a firm grasp on what was expected from each of them, they started to stand and wander out. Stu, however, remained in his seat, his eyes fixated on the open portfolio before him.

Annie looked over his shoulder and saw he was staring at his own photographs, the ones she had taken the night before. "Stu? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just that - I promised myself never to get caught up in that world again, and here I am, jumping back in feet first," Stu said, closing the book and looking up at her.

"But you won't be going in as yourself," Annie reminded him, sitting again next to him. Seeing that he wasn't convinced, she took his hand in hers, forcing him to look directly into her eyes. "Just think of it as acting in a play. I'm sure you did that sometime in school, right? Just pretend. You won't be Stuart Heatherton. You'll be Jamir Abeel, hot model jetsetting around the world."

Stu smiled. He'd never been in a play before in his life, but seeing the pleading look on Annie's face, he fibbed and nodded. "Of course, and you'll be Amy Scott, model girlfriend to Jamir Abeel, and quite a hot model herself."

Annie laughed at this, "Tell you what, we don't have anything else to do until we leave for that flight early tomorrow morning. Why don't we start now?"

"Start what now?" Stu asked.

Straightening in her seat, Annie lowered her lashes and pulled her hair around onto her shoulder. "Why, Jamir," she said in the slightly breathless tone of Amy Scott, whom she'd listened to on interrogation tape. "Don't be silly. You know very well what I mean."

Stu froze at her sudden change in demeanor. Geez, if he hadn't seen the transformation for himself, he'd swear it was a completely different person. How the hell was he supposed to do that? Then, seeing a twinkle in her eye, she winked at him, and he laughed to himself. Okay, Miss Scott, he thought. He could play this game. Rolling his shoulders to loosen them up, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He'd watched the tape of Jamir, and the man was so laidback, he sometimes looked as though he were sleeping with his eyes open.

"Course I know what you mean, darlin'," he drawled in the low-timbre voice of Jamir. "Just making sure you do, 'cause you know, we've got a long flight ahead of us."

Annie could have jumped for joy, but instead settled for leaning over and kissing "Jamir's" cheek. "How about we get outta here? I've still gotta pack, grab that suitcase, you know."

Stu nodded, "And we gotta pick up those cellphones from my guy." Standing, he held out his arm for her, and she wound her fingers around his bicep. Together, they walked out of the conference room, leaving the old Stu and Annie behind.

Auggie was tucking the thumb drive deep into the suitcase where it had been originally found when he heard his door open. "Almost done here, guys."

"Ain't no problem, man. I gotta pick some stuff up from my desk, anyway," Stu said, walking across the room.

"You do that, sweetie, I'll just get the cellphones so we can be on our way," Annie breathed, walking up to Auggie. "You the guy Jamir said we could get those badass cellphones from?"

Auggie froze at the voice, his fingers stilling in the suitcase. Breathing deep, he caught the citrus fragrance Annie always wore and Stu's aftershave, but what he heard belied those facts. "Uhh, yeah. That is you, right, Annie?"

Groaning inwardly, Annie leaned in to whisper in Auggie's ear. "Yes, of course it's me. And Stu. He's having a hard time getting into character, so I told him we'd start early, get in some practice."

Nodding, Auggie returned to his task. "Yeah, those 'badass' cellphones you so lightly refer to are on my desk. Be careful with them. They're not your typical cellies."

"Don't you worry, my man," Stu said, shutting off his computer. "Me and Amy here know our way around hi-tech devices. Ain't that right, honey?"

Annie could have giggled at the way Stu was diving into character. She knew enough not to, though. His successful performance depended on her setting the lead, and she didn't want to let him down. "That's right. We're not your typical dumb models, you know. Jamir here's got a Master's degree, you know."

"Then you should be all set. Your suitcase has been packed for you. Just the one for the two of you?" Auggie asked, quirking an eyebrow at them.

"Saves luggage hassle at the airport," Annie explained, wrapping an arm around Stu's waist. "Besides, we share everything, don't we, sweetie?"

"You got that right, though I don't see me asking to borrow that dress you got on now," Stu said, his fingers lightly tugging the tie at her waist. "But whatever I got is yours."

Auggie shook his head at the playful romantic banter between his two friends. "Well, are you two taking off now? I couldn't talk you into a farewell round of drinks down at the bar?"

"Early flight, my man," Stu said, clapping his hand on Auggie's back. "We'll give you a call when we get there."

Tucking the case files and their portfolios into the suitcase's side pocket, Stu set it on the floor and extended the handle. "Amy, you ready to go?"

"With you, anywhere," Annie said, wrapping her hand around his bicep again. As they walked out and through the bullpen, again, all eyes watched their departure. Another low wolf whistle echoed from somewhere in the back, but instead of blushing and running, Stu smirked at them. He had accepted the position he now found himself in, and besides, with the capable Annie Walker/Amy Scott by his side, he felt he could do anything.

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Even with the early, nonstop flight, with the five-hour time difference, it was already dark when Stu and Annie arrived at Victor's. The cab pulled up to what looked to Annie like a nondescript warehouse.

Nudging Stu with her elbow, she nodded up to the building. "Looks like we're here. Ready to go to work, Jamir?"

"Yeah, let's go," Stu said, shaking off the last of his nervousness and taking a deep breath.

Annie reached over and twined her hand with Stu's, giving his fingers a reassuring squeeze. "Just relax. If you feel you can't do this, just give me a look, and we'll walk away."

The cab driver opened their door, and Stu slid out, adopting his Jamir stance and attitude as his feet hit the pavement. He found Annie's advice of "just pretending" easier than he thought. Also, as her hand caught his proffered one as she slid out of the cab, her portrayal of Amy was so convincing, he found himself just following her lead.

After paying the driver, the pair walked hand-in-hand up to the plain, white door. The only windows were in the upper two floors, giving no hint of what lay within.

The door flew open suddenly at Annie's ring of the doorbell, causing them both to jump a bit. Annie felt Stu's fingers squeeze hers slightly, and she squeezed back, plastering a smile on her face.

"Ahh, you have arrived!"

Victor Smith, to Annie's surprise, was nothing like she imagined. Tall, handsome and well-built. She watched as he came across the threshold to greet them, approaching Stu first and clapping his hands on either side of his head and kissing his cheeks.

Annie prepared herself for a similar welcome, but Victor merely gave her a warm smile, and linking his arm with Stu's, he pulled them both inside. It looked as though they were being set up, as Annie glanced around the empty room.

"I have been awaiting your arrival all day. I trust your flight was uneventuful?" Victor asked.

Annie opened her mouth to answer, but soon closed it as she realized Victor's attention was on Stu.

Adopting his "Jamir" persona, Stu smiled at the man, "It was all right. Glad to be here, though."

"Ahh, wonderful. Please, please, come upstairs to my studio."

Stu saw the man's hand reach out to grab his, and quickly turned back to Annie, draping his arm around her shoulder. "You ready to get to work, sweetheart?" he said, ushering her up the stairs behind Victor.

Annie expertly stifled a giggle, as she saw the disappointed look on Victor's face when Stu declined his offer. Guess the man's interest in Jamir didn't focus solely on taking his picture, she thought.

"Oh, we won't be doing any work tonight. The photo shoot is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. You will stay as my guests here until then," Victor explained as he led them across the room to a sitting area in the corner. "So, you have heard about my project?"

Stu settled on the couch across from the man perched on the edge of the armchair. Annie sat close next to him, her fingers entwining with his. "The agency told us some, that you're creating a photo book?" he asked.

"Photo book?" Victor snorted derisively. "They would call my greatest masteripece a photo book?" He huffed dramatically and threw himself back in the chair. "Well, I guess I cannot blame them too much. They are simply the middle man between the artist and his art, yes? And you, Jamir, are my art."

"I - I am?" Stu asked, perplexed.

"Yes, yes! As soon as I saw your photographs, I knew that your face would be the final piece of my greatest project. I wish to show everyone the beauty of the world, with a perfect male specimen of each region of its circumference. From Tokyo to New York City, I have found them. And I will end with you."

Stu nodded, "Sounds exciting. But where does Amy fit into all this? You asked for both of us."

Victor waved his hand at Annie. "That I did, because in all the photos of you, you seem to come alive more so when she is with you. I need that fire, that unbridled energy. I see now where that passion comes from. You two are in love, yes?"

Annie looked up at Stu and smiled, "Yes, but we so rarely get to work together, this opportunity is like a dream."

Seeing the inquisitive look in Victor's eyes, Stu realized the man was sizing him up, sizing them up. He'd seen that look before, years ago, and knew he'd have to cement Jamir and Amy's devotion to each other quickly.

"You're the dream, baby," Stu replied, tucking his fingers under Annie's chin and kissing her fully on the lips. Thankfully, she didn't resist, but returned his unexpected show of affection and kissed him back.

"Young love, so beautiful to watch, such a joy to photograph," Victor commented, pulling the couple apart. "But, it is getting late, and we have an exciting day tomorrow. Have you eaten?"

Stu nodded, "Yes, we stopped at a restaurant before coming here."

"Then I'll show you to your room," he announced, standing up. "I keep a suite of small apartments upstairs for visitors. You'll be quite alone, though."

Stu carried the suitcase and carry-on and followed Annie and Victor up the staircase. It ended in a long hallway. Victor opened up the one at the end. "This is the larger of them. A few amenities to make your short stay enjoyable."

Annie walked in and looked around. One large, sparsely decorated room with a full-sized bed, a dresser, and two armchairs were the only furniture. A counter at the other end held a small refrigerator and a microwave. An open door led to a bathroom.

"I gave you this room as it has the largest of the beds," Victor said, winking at them. "Most of my models come - shall we say, unattached and have no need for a large bed."

Stu gulped, but quickly smiled at the man, nodding his approval. One thing he hadn't counted on was having to take Jamir and Amy's relationship from hand-holding, and now embracing and kissing, to spending the night together.

Annie saw the flash of uncertainty in Stu's eyes. "It's perfect," she said, "Much nicer than we're used to. A few photographers we've worked with haven't been so generous."

"Then I will leave you for now. I will be busy until our photo shot tomorrow afternoon, so feel free to explore the city in the morning. My suite is downstairs, off the studio, should you need anything," Victor said, letting himself out of the room.

Stu and Annie waited until his echoing footsteps disappeared down the hall, then both sat on the bed. Stu spoke first. "Sorry for having to kiss you like that."

"No, it's all right. I saw how Victor was sizing you up," she said. "We might have to do it more often, though."

"No complaints from me," Stu said, giving her a wink before laughing.

Annie gave him a playful punch in the shoulder before standing and retrieving their suitcase. They'd brought Jamir and Amy's clothing, and tucked in their own. Annie's idea, since Amy apparently didn't believe in underwear.

Placing it on one of the room's chairs, she opened it and pulled out her toiletry bag and sleep shirt. "I'll be back in a minute," she said, heading to the bathroom.

Stu nodded, and stretching his arms over his head, laid back on the bed. Though it wasn't that late to him, given the time difference, they'd started out early in the morning. And he hadn't slept much the night before, his mind racing with what lay ahead.

He hadn't found it too difficult to slip into this "model" persona of Jamir's. It was the same type of pretense and make-believe he'd had to adopt during his own modeling days. Smile pretty, kiss up to the photographer, and stay professional, even in the most ridiculous of circumstances.

Chuckling at a few memories, Stu got up off the bed and retrieved his own sleep attire. Hearing Annie still busy in the bathroom, he stripped of Jamir's skin-tight tee and overly expensive jeans and pulled on his own cotton sleep pants. He'd gone through Jamir and Amy's entire suitcase, but found nothing in the form of pajamas.

He was tying the string at his waist when Annie emerged from the bathroom. Grabbing his own toiletry bag, he turned around to take his own turn brushing his teeth when he caught sight of her.

Annie had brought her own sleep attire, as well, but as Stu saw, it was only a long cotton shirt that ended mid-thigh. It wasn't the sexiest of outfits, but still, seeing her smooth, bare legs and feet, her hair down around her shoulders, and her face clear of makeup, he found himself staring.

She didn't notice his wide-eyed gaze at her, though, as her own eyes were drawn to his bare chest and sleep pants that hung on his hips. Annie had never imagined what Stu would look like without clothes on, but it certainly wasn't the body she saw now in front of her. He had a tall, thin build, but it was far from being gawky. He had a natural musculature, with smooth, tanned skin. She saw now how he'd been so successful in the modeling world. Anything placed on that body would automatically look good.

Stu was the first to break the sudden tension in the room, clearing his throat and walking past her into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth quickly and ran a cloth over his face. He'd save a shower until the morning.

Setting his bag on the counter next to Annie's, he shut the light off and left the room. Annie had already taken claim to the left side and was under the blanket, laying on her side.

The sudden intimacy of the setting caused Stu to pause at the side of the bed. Annie glanced up at him, quizzically. "Guess Victor would notice if I took one of the other beds, huh?" he asked.

Annie nodded and pulled the blanket aside for him. "I promise not to hog the covers," she said with a reassuring smile. "It's just a game of pretend, Stu."

"Yeah, I know," Stu said, laying down beside her. As Annie clicked the lamp on the table off and the room was plunged into darkness, he felt her settle back down into the bed. Her knee brushed his leg as she turned onto his side, and he closed his eyes at the soft touch.

That's just the problem, he thought. Sometimes the game of pretend has long-standing and heart-breaking effects on the game of reality.

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Warmth covered her, emanating from behind her. As consciousness slowly came to Annie, her first thought was that she had left her bedroom fireplace going when she fell asleep. Then, as she drifted up further to wakefulness, she became aware of a heaviness on her hip, another source of heat. It felt deliciously like a hand, and smiling sleepily, Annie turned into her pillow, the hand slipping to her bare lower back. Her shirt had tangled up around her waist.

Turning her head to the source of that heat, that warmth, Annie slowly opened her eyes, pushing her hair out of the way. The first thing she saw as her eyes focused was a bare male chest, and as she looked up to the source of that masculinity, she found herself staring at Stu's sleeping countenance.

Suddenly wide awake, Annie gasped at the proximity they'd moved to in their sleep. His hand was the only thing touching her, but still, given her lack of attire and the closeness of his face to hers right now, she felt suddenly shy. Carefully, and without waking him, Annie slid out from under his arm and off the bed.

He shifted slightly, but resumed his sleeping. Pulling her sleepshirt back down her legs, Annie walked quietly to the bathroom.

A light knocking on the door 15 minutes later woke Stu, who looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings until he remembered where he was. Looking around the small room, he was about to call out for Annie when the knocking came again from the apartment's front door.

Getting up, he tugged at his sleep pants and ran a hand over his stubbled jaw before opening the door. A smallish man stood there, carrying a tray.

"Mr. Victor sends his regrets that he won't be able to see you until the photo shoot after lunch. In the meantime, you are to enjoy this coffee, take in the sights of the city, and return by noon for preparation."

Stu nodded, accepting the tray from the man he surmised to be Victor's assistant, though from the way he spoke, he wondered if Victor had a butler and entire wait staff.

"Thank you, uhh - "

"My name is Howard. Howard Adams, and should you need anything else during your stay, you need only ask," Howard said with a slight nod before turning away.

"Wait a minute, please," Stu said. "The photo shoot, do you know if Victor needs me clean-shaven or any other special considerations?"

"Ahh, yes, he did leave some instructions," Howard said, digging a scrap of paper out of his pocket. Reading from it, he said, "Jamil is to be clean-shaven, clean hair. Amy to be also makeup free, with no product in hair."

"Thank you," Stu said.

"My pleasure, sir," Howard said, nodding again and walking away.

Stu chuckled to himself at the man's formality as he shut the door. He'd met some interesting characters during his time, but a photographer's assistant who took his job with all the seriousness and sincerity of a high-paid butler was something new.

Setting the tray with the coffee carafe and ceramic cups on the only flat surface, the top of the dresser, he walked over to the bathroom door. He'd heard the shower running while talking to Howard, but he saw now that the sound had stopped.

"Annie?" he said quietly with a soft knock.

Nearly dropping her towel at Stu's voice, Annie hastily wrapped it around her body and went to the door, opening it.

"Yeah? I heard someone at the door. Was that Victor?" she asked.

"No, it was, umm, his assistant, Howard. He brought us coffee," Stu said, smiling. "Sorry to interrupt your shower, but make sure you don't put anything in your hair and don't wear any makeup. Makeup and hair prefer a clean palette to work from."

Perplexed for a second, Annie then caught on to what Stu was referring to. "Oh, didn't think about that. The photo shoot's after lunch, right? Can't I just wash my face right before?"

Stu shook his head, "You look perfect now without the makeup."

"Oh, thanks," Annie said, blinking at the compliment. "How about you?"

"Unfortunately, he doesn't go for the rugged look. Gotta shave," Stu said, chuckling.

"I'll be out in a minute, then," Annie said, shutting the door. Looking at herself in the mirror, his words came back to her. I'm hardly perfect, she thought, but still, she couldn't help but notice a flush of color on her cheeks.

While drinking their coffee, Stu and Annie brainstormed about the operation. Stu told her that Victor wouldn't be available all morning, and they were instructed to "go out and see the city."

Annie knew the thumb drive was still hidden in their suitcase, and together, they figured they were being set up to leave so it could be "retrieved."

Now, as they sat in a restaurant eating and sipping coffee, Annie made a call into Auggie to update him on the case. As soon as he answered, sounding tired and groggy, she regretted not waiting until later.

"Aug? Amy here, just checking in," Annie said, keeping up the cover, as there was always the chance that of the dozen or so people around them knew Victor. "How's life back in the States?"

"Exhausting, actually," Auggie answered. "Guess you're in mixed company?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Then I'll keep this short and to the point. The GPS on the thumb drive has moved. Are you away from Victor's place?"

"Yep."

"Suitcase still there?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then it's been taken, just as we thought. We'll keep an eye on its movements from here. Any more information you've been able to retrieve?"

"Well, Jamir would know more about that than me. Why don't you talk to him?" Annie said, handing the cellphone over to Stu.

"Hey, Aug. Photo shoot's scheduled for this afternoon. We should be back in a couple of days, at the most."

"Very good," Auggie said. "Annie keeping you safe?"

"Amy's never left my side," Stu said, winking at her, then smiling as her cheeks colored. "We're good, Aug."

"Okay, then. As I told Annie, the thumb drive's been removed from the suitcase. We're tracking it here. Have you gotten anymore intel?"

"Haven't seen Victor yet," Stu said. "His assistant, Howard Adams, gave us the particulars on this afternoon."

"Howard Adams? We'll run that name. Any way you two can have a look through Victor's place without being spotted? We need to see how he's caught up in this."

"Maybe later tonight, after the photo shoot, we'll give you another call."

"Don't work too hard," Auggie chuckled. "I know Annie promised to make sure nothing happened to you, but -"

"We're good, Aug," Stu said, looking over at Annie, who sat drinking her coffee and looking out the window. "I'll make sure nothing happens."

"Just what I wanted to hear. Good luck."

"Bye, Aug," Stu said, clamping the cellphone shut and handing it back to Annie.

"Want to take a walk around? We've got a couple hours before we're needed back at Victor's," Annie said, sliding the phone back into her pocket.

They had been posing for a few clicks when Victor suddenly threw up his hands and stepped from behind the camera. Annie sat back on her heels, somewhat frustrated at the situation. She was trying her best to follow the photographer's instructions, as Stu had taught her to do, but the man's indecisiveness was wearing on her.

Currently, he had them on a bed, with Stu sitting on the edge, and her on her knees behind him. As Victor had mentioned when they first met yesterday, his focus was solely on "Jamir," and she was to be his "window dressing."

"No, this is not working at all. I need heat, I need passion. you are posing for adults, not girl scouts," Victor whined.

Annie frowned at the man's summation of her modeling skills, but soon smiled brightly at him, "What do you need us to do?"

The man paced back and forth in front of them, tapping his manicured finger against his teeth as he took in the scene in front of him. Personally, Annie thought the pose he'd dictated was risque enough. A man and a woman on a bed, her hands all over him. She'd seen a similar pose often enough in magazines.

"Skin!" he shouted, so loud that Annie jumped a bit. "That is what this needs. Amy, remove your top. Jamir, you also."

Stu stiffened a bit at this, then relaxed, remembering his cover. "Now, wait a minute, Amy's contract -"

"Tch, tch, tch," he swept away the protestations with a wave of his hand. "I am well aware of my limitations. I have no need to photograph your woman's breasts. All we need is the illusion," he purred, settling himself behind the camera once again.

Annie watched as Stu in front of her slowly pulled off the black tank he had been wearing with his designer jeans. Personally, she thought she'd been showing plenty of skin, given the boy shorts she was given to wear along with the skintight t-shirt she had on.

She still hesitated, though, her eyes settling on Stu's smooth, muscular build. She'd seen him with his shirt off the day before, but getting topless along with him was more than she'd bargained for.

Realizing she hadn't moved from her perch behind him, Stu turned slightly toward her, reading the apprehension and a bit of fear in her eyes. Lowering his voice so no one else would hear, he whispered, "Annie, he won't be taking nude photos. Just - use my body to shield yourself. I'll protect you."

His soft words and promises encouraged Annie and, ducking behind him to shield herself from the crew's prying eyes, she slid the t-shirt and her bra off, tossing them to the waiting wardrobe person.

"Now, in position, please," the photographer shouted, and as the lights hit them again, Annie took a deep breath and resumed her pose behind Stu, pressing up against his back and running her hands along his shoulders and down his chest. Remembering Stu's teachings, she paused after every move in order for the photographer to memorialize the pose.

She also kept her ears open for the photographer's instructions, which he began soon after his shutter started clicking.

"Flip your hair back more, it's hiding your face."

"More to the side, one arm down, one on his shoulder."

"You're supposed to be caressing him, not applying sunscreen."

"Look at each other. You're supposed to be lovers, not strangers."

At the last instruction, Stu shifted his focus from the camera, where he'd been looking, to his right, finding Annie's face mere inches from his. He'd tried his best to keep professional the past few minutes, even as her soft skin caressed his, but seeing her wide, brown eyes and slightly parted lips caused his focus to slip.

Her hair fell in her face again, and as she flipped it back over her shoulder, her cheek brushed his, bringing her lips within millimeters of his own. He barely heard the camera shutter clicking away like mad.

Settling her hair again to fall over her shoulder in a cascade, Annie resumed her position, kneeling close behind Stu, her bare chest pressed against his back. It had been a relatively innocent enough pose when they'd started, but now as Stu's face hovered so close to hers, her breath caught in her throat, and she suddenly felt the rest of the room slide away as her eyes focused only on him and the inexorable shine in his wide, open eyes.

"Annie." The word was barely perceptible, the barest of whispers, but it sent a thrill through her, and dropping her eyes to his lips, she yearned to hear it again.

And it did, as she moved her right hand up his chest, feeling the muscles clench as she touched them. Not able to help herself, Annie let her lips drop further towards his, where they lay, slightly parted, beneath her gaze.

The sudden shock of her soft lips against hers broke something within Stu, and he raised his arm to her, cradling the back of her head as the kiss extended, Annie's lips parting under his. Her touch electrified him, and as he felt her body sliding around his shoulder, her soft, bare skin setting his on fire, he wrapped his other arm around her, cradling her bare back as her chest slid along his.

He cradled her in his lap, his left hand grasping her hair, and his right arm holding her against him. Their lips never parted, and her breathing became ragged, hitching. Stu's lungs, also, were burning with the need for air.

A sudden clapping sound broke them apart, and Stu lifted his glazed eyes from Annie to see Victor nearly crying with joy, and the rest of the crew applauding. Jerking himself rapidly back to reality, Stu tightened his grip on Annie, pulling her half-naked form towards him to shield her from their eyes.

"Absolutely magnificent!" Victor cried. "Beautiful! I could not have asked for anything more!"

Stu watched as the man danced around, clapping his hands and embracing the members of the crew. He caught the eye of the wardrobe girl whose name he hadn't remembered, and waved her over to retrieve Annie's clothes.

Keeping her arms locked around Stu's neck, Annie shook slightly as the cacophony of the crew's voices sounded around her. Whether it was from the fact that she was nearly naked in front of a group of strangers or the fact that she'd let her emotions overwhelm her she didn't know, but she stayed where she was, breathing deeply to clear her mind.

It wasn't until she heard Stu whispering her name above her that she pulled her face from his chest and saw him looking at her, her shirt in his hand. His eyes were hooded, and she was about to ask him what's wrong, but felt him letting go of her, setting her back on the bed. Keeping her back to the room, she slid the shirt back on and took another deep breath, remembering what she was there for, remembering, for the first time in the past few minutes, that she was playing a role.

After a few seconds, "Amy" turned back around and sat on the bed next to "Jamir." Victor was still accepting the congratulations of the crew, and Stu sat on the bed with his hands clasped.

"I take it that was good, huh?" Stu asked, smiling at the man.

"Good? My friend, you really need to improve your vocabulary. You are my muse! You are what will make this book, my masterpiece, come to life! I will need more! More! You can stay longer, correct? Longer! You will be my guests, and I will take care of you."

As the crew shuffled around, in and out of the room, and Victor headed off shouting for Howard, Stu turned to Annie who sat next to him.

"You okay?" he asked, softly.

Annie nodded, "I - umm, I guess if Victor wants us to stay longer, it'll - umm, it'll give us more time to look for the intel."

Stu blinked at her answer, then realized she was referring to the mission, the reason they were there. He'd wanted to apologize for the embrace, tell her it meant nothing, it was all part of the game, but the words died before they could reach his lips.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Hanging up the phone after a lengthy conversation with Auggie, Annie unfolded her legs from beneath her and stood, gasping as her bare feet hit the cold floor. Reminding herself to bring slippers on her next mission, she knocked on the bathroom door where Stu had been for the last 20 minutes, supposedly getting ready for bed. The door opened, and Annie stared wide-eyed at the sight in front of her, her lips twitching trying to hide a giggle. She soon lost the battle, though, and an all-out laugh echoed in the small room.

Standing at the sink, freshly showered and wearing only his sleep pants, Stu gave her a mock-dirty look. "See something funny, Walker?" he said, spreading the last of the makeup-removing cream over his face.

"Umm, you do realize you've got what looks like cold cream all over your face, right?" Annie said, walking in and leaning up against the wide wooden cabinet that held the sink beside him. Another giggle escaped her throat.

The giggle turned to a gasp as Stu's cream-covered finger reached out and dropped a smear of it on her nose. Stu smiled as her nose wrinkled, and she wiped at it, getting most, but not all of it with her fingers.

"Okay, okay," Annie said, "I'm sorry for laughing." Placing her hands on the marble countertop, she jumped up, settling herself on the top. "I talked with Auggie."

"I heard. What'd our man have to say?" Stu asked, running the wash cloth under the tap.

Watching him wipe the cream and makeup off his face, Annie was slightly mesmerized, but continued talking, "He said the thumb drive's stopped at a destination, and they're looking hard into it and the people there. He wouldn't tell me where it was, 'cause they want us to stay here for the time being. Also, that guy, Howard Adams? Nothing. His name's probably as fake as Victor's is. We're to, somehow, find information or intel here to find out what role Victor plays in all this."

"Easier said than done," Stu scoffed, rinsing out the washcloth and returning to his task of removing the heavy makeup and cream from his face.

"Well, with you being Victor's muse and everything, we'll have more time to come up with a plan," Annie teased, smiling at him.

"What'd Auggie have to say about that? He probably laughed, right?" Stu asked.

"No, he sounded pretty impressed," Annie said honestly. Then, as Stu laid down the washcloth to reach for the hand towel, she reached out and stayed his arm. Taking up the washcloth, she said, "Hold on, you missed some."

Placing her hand on his bare shoulder, Annie wiped the last of the cream from under his jawline, not missing how his throat worked as he swallowed at her actions. "What is this stuff, anyway? It doesn't look like normal makeup remover."

"I got it from Deb, our makeup artist today. The product they use is kind of hard on the skin, and this is specially formulated to prevent irritation," Stu explained, daring her with a look to laugh again. She didn't, though, only picked up the tube and read the label.

"Oh, that's cool. Here," she said, handing it to him and, turning gingerly on her perch, lifted her head to him and closed her eyes.

For a fleeting second, Stu thought she was leaning in to kiss him, but as she didn't move and kept her eyes closed, he realized her intent.

Squeezing a generous amount onto his fingertips, Stu brushed her hair off her face and gently applied the cream to her cheek. She jumped a bit and shivered.

"It's cold."

"Sorry," Stu said, removing his hand from her face.

"No, it's okay, go ahead."

Stu kept his touch gentle as he smoothed the cool cream over her cheeks, forehead and nose. It warmed under his touch, and as he rubbed it gently into her skin, melting the heavy makeup, his thoughts raced of their own accord back to that very afternoon when he'd cradled her in his arms. He'd tried to tell himself at the time it was part of the game, an unintended move precipitated by a concocted situation they found themselves in.

But now? They were alone, all pretense gone, covers left at the door. Yet he found himself wanting to taste those lips again, feel her hands on him once more. As the thought crossed his mind, his fingers ran across her chin, causing her lower lip to part from the upper.

The coolness Annie felt when the cream first touched her cheek soon warmed under Stu's ministrations, and for a fleeting second, her mind rebelled at the caress, telling her to take the tube from him and clean her own face. But as his fingers moved across her jaw, down her nose, and ever-so-gently across her eyes, she felt herself leaning further into his touch. She also became increasingly aware of the fact that her sleep shirt had ridden up her thighs, and her heart rate had sped up for the second time that day.

She'd felt slightly embarrassed that afternoon at the photo shoot when she'd lost herself in the overtly sexual situation they found themselves in and kissed him. Even now, the delicious memory of his arms wrapping around her, and her bare chest gliding over his caused her breath to stop. Feeling his fingers on her chin, pulling down slightly, her lips parted, and a soundless moan rumbled in her chest.

All too soon, his fingers left her face, only to be replaced by the wetness of a warm cloth as the cream and makeup were wiped off.

"There," Stu said quietly. "Amy's all gone."

Blinking her eyes open, Annie accepted the hand towel he handed her, and blotted her face dry. "Oh, I don't know about that," Annie said, "I rather like playing dress-up."

"And all the rest of it?" Stu asked.

Annie knew what he was referring to, but suddenly felt shy under his intent and hooded gaze. Dropping her eyes to the counter, she placed her hands on the edge to lower herself back down to the floor.

Seeing her scoot to the edge of the marble top, Stu's hands shot out to her waist and lifting her effortlessly, set her feet back on the floor. The sudden movement caused Annie's hands to grasp onto his bare forearms, and for a few moments, they stood in the loose embrace.

Stu knew he should release her, that his original intention was only to help her down off the counter she'd jumped on, but his hands didn't seem to want to leave her small waist, and the thinness of the shirt material did nothing to counter the warmth underneath.

A sudden, echoing clatter emanating from the floor below broke the tense moment, and Annie jumped slightly, dropping her hands from Stu's arms. Then, she heard Victor's voice. It sounded angry, but from where she stood, she couldn't make out the words.

Pressing her finger to her lips, Annie walked out of the bathroom to the apartment's front door, opening it. Victor's voice echoed up the stairs. Stu joined her by her side, and together they listened.

"No, not yet. Because I still need them! What do you know about it? You know nothing of art, of the muse, of the importance of my masterpiece! You will receive your precious package when I am ready to give it to you!"

Stu placed his hand on Annie's shoulder, turning her face toward his. Silently, he mouthed, "Thumb drive?" Annie nodded, and they resumed listening as Victor again began speaking.

"I do not see why. I have plans tonight, I cannot meet you. Fine, fine! I will meet you in a half an hour."

Another clatter echoed up the staircase, and soon they heard Victor's voice again, "Howard! I need you. Now! With me!"

Fast footsteps followed, and Annie soon heard doors slamming, then silence as both men left the building.

Quickly standing up, Annie retrieved her cellphone from the nightstand, punching in a few numbers.

"Auggie? Victor just left, we think he's going to meet his contacts. Should we follow them?"

"No, Annie, now's the time to search the place. We're getting intel on his contacts, and it's too dangerous for you to go there alone. The place is empty, right?"

"Yeah, but -" Annie protested.

"This may be your only chance," Auggie said.

"Okay," Annie said, clapping the phone shut.

"What does he want us to do?" Stu said, standing by the door.

"Time for you to become a spy," Annie said, standing up and walking quickly out the door, grabbing Stu's hand and dragging him along. Making as little sound as possible, even though she was sure they were alone in the building, Annie quickly walked on her bare feet down the hallway.

"Wait, Annie, shouldn't we get some clothes on first?" Stu asked, trotting to keep up with her.

"No time. They may come back," Annie said.

Barefoot, clad only in a pair of sleep pants and a long t-shirt, Annie and Stu made their way down the narrow staircase to the photo studio. Annie had noticed the locked door during their session this afternoon, and surmised that it was Victor's personal suite.

Now, as she turned the handle, she sent a small prayer of gratitude that it was unlocked. Opening the door, she found she was right. A heavily decorated sitting room and office lay before them, and Annie quickly made her way to the desk in the corner. A laptop lay on it, turned on, but the flashing screen showed it was locked.

"Stu," Annie whispered, "Can you get into this?"

Walking over to the desk, Stu saw the laptop's screen and flashed Annie a smile. "Can I? Is that a dare?"

"Okay, hotshot, show me what you can do," Annie said, standing to the side while Stu sat at the desk. After a couple of minutes, during which Annie kept an ear open for any sound, Stu had worked his way into the laptop and was pulling up files.

"What are we looking for?" he whispered to Annie.

"Personal information, what he's doing with the intel, who his contacts are, who's paying him to do all this," Annie said. "Just anything. We don't know much at this point."

Stu nodded, then began searching. He knew most people thought their personal computers were unhackable and tried to hide files, but still needed access to them. He found Victor was one of those people, and soon began pulling up document after document. His eyes widened at the wealth of information hidden there. Annie's gasp behind him showed that she was impressed, as well.

"Do you still have your cellphone with you?" Stu whispered.

"Yeah," Annie said, "But what -"

"Give it to me," Stu said, taking the device from her hand. Setting up the camera feature, he quickly began snapping pics of the screen, document after document detailing Victor's life and his dealings over the past year with people who gave him financial consideration in exchange for "favors."

There were so many documents, it took several minutes for Stu to capture them all, but once he was done, he handed the phone carefully back to Annie and began hiding his tracks. He closed out the documents, and making sure everything looked as it was when he first sat down, logged off.

The same blinking password request shone up at them as Stu stood up. He turned to Annie, who was staring at him with wide eyes and an astonished look on her face.

"What?" he asked, fighting the urge to laugh.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "We have to get out of here. Victor or Howard may come back at any time."

Stu nodded, and taking her hand, they walked back out of the suite to the photo studio. Another blinking laptop, this one tucked back behind a light umbrella, caught Annie's eye.

Letting go of Stu's hand, she walked over to it, and touching a key, saw it wasn't password protected. Instead, images of that day's photo shoot came up on the screen. Her mouth fell open as pictures of her and Stu danced in front of her eyes, his arms folded around her bare back, and their lips locked together.

"Annie, is there anything on there?" Stu asked, looking around the room for other hidden computers or files.

"N-no, it's nothing," Annie said, tearing her eyes away from the erotic images. "Come on, we'd better head back upstairs before they come back."

The pair raced back up the stairs, and Annie had Stu stand guard, listening, while she called Auggie again with the news. It took several minutes for the pictures to upload from the camera back to HQ, but once they were all in Auggie's safekeeping, the man let out a whoop that even Stu heard from the doorway.

"Auggie, shh!" Annie said. "I take it what we found is good?"

"Good? My dear, when you two return, you won't have to buy your own coffee for a month," Auggie replied, laughing. "Now get off the phone and let me do my work. This is a lot of intel to process. Wish I had my best man here to help me with it."

"Your best man is the one who was able to get it for you, so don't complain," Annie said, smiling up at Stu.

"Well put. You two get some sleep. You deserve a rest," Auggie said.

"Bye, Auggie," Annie said, closing the cellphone in her hand.

Stu shut the door, and letting out a sigh, sat on the bed. "That's the kind of stuff you do every day, huh?"

"Well, not every day," Annie said, laughing. Standing up, she walked over to the suitcase and slipped the cellphone back inside.

Stu smiled and lay back on the bed, tucking his hands under his head. The unaccustomed adrenaline rush on top of a hectic day was almost too much, and exhaustion was taking its toll on him.

Walking over to her side of the bed, Annie lay down on her side, facing her accomplice. He seemed tired, as was she, and tucking her hands under her cheek, she said, "Good work, Agent Heatherton."

"You, too, Agent Walker," Stu replied.

Closing his eyes, Stu took a deep breath, relaxing and forcing his mind to calm itself from the surge of excitement he'd just experienced. It did within a few minutes, but he soon became aware of another source of intensity to his side. Annie's eyes were on him, and taking a deep breath, he stretched his arm out to her. He felt the bed shift as she slid closer, and soon her head was resting on his shoulder. He let his hand curl around her back and soon heard her breath even out as she fell asleep. He was still trying to negotiate with himself his reasons for doing so when exhaustion again swept over him and sleep consumed him, as well.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

For the second night in a row, Annie awoke to a delicious warmth. This time, however, it enveloped her, cocooning her. Fluttering her eyes open, she saw dusky, smooth skin and a faint shadow on Stu's jaw and neck. He'd pulled her to him last night, and she'd given in. She didn't know when the game had changed, when the pretense had fallen away, but it had, and she'd fallen headlong.

Shifting just the slightest bit, Annie lifted her head to watch him as he slept. Her hand on his chest felt the rise and fall of each breath. Her small movements, though, must have roused him a bit as the arm her head was resting on clenched around her back, and his hand slid up to her shoulder, pulling her closer.

Her body fully pressed alongside his, her leg bent, twining with his. Annie knew they shouldn't, that they were on a mission, but for two days now, they'd been dancing around each other, always on the pretense of "Jamir and Amy." But there were times like earlier when he'd lifted her off the counter, and his hands stayed a few moments longer than necessary on her waist. Or during the photo shoot, when he'd wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace.

She'd come to him when he reached out to her last night, accepted the embrace, accepted him. She truly felt safe and protected in his arms, a feeling she hadn't even realized she'd craved until she woke a few moments ago. The thought made her smile and she leaned a few inches in, brushing her lips across his jaw.

Stu's hand slid up her shoulder, and Annie wondered if he were truly sleeping. He turned his head towards hers, her nearness causing their noses to bump slightly.

"Annie?"

The same low, barely perceptible word as Stu's eyes opened slightly. Annie didn't need to make the first move as she did before, though, as his lips brushed over hers, eliciting a sigh.

His lips had barely left hers, though, before they crashed against hers with so much intensity, a small squeak of shock sounded in Annie's throat. His right arm clenched again, bringing her up on him, across his chest. His other hand came up and tangled in her hair, angling her face to give him more access.

The intensity of the kiss grew as Stu whispered her name against her lips again, his tongue insistent against her lips until she parted them, if only to gasp for air. Their breaths mingled as he glided his tongue along her teeth. Annie whimpered as it met hers in a sweet, soft joining.

"Stu," Annie whispered, nearly out of breath. His grip on her hair eased, and he pulled her back from him, his wide, dark eyes searching hers. She almost groaned as his grip on her eased, and she slid off his chest down to his side.

"Annie, I -"

"Shh," she said, raising her fingers to his lips. His fingers grasped hers, pressing a kiss into her palm before pulling them to his chest.

His other arm wrapped even more firmly around her shoulders, keeping her by his side as they lay together, quiet and content, until sleep overcame them both again.

A persistent, loud knocking woke Stu in the morning, and he'd barely opened his eyes when the door opened, and Howard walked in, carrying the same tray of coffee and mugs.

"Howard, what the hell?" Stu said, staring furiously at the man. His hands pulled at the blanket, making sure Annie was covered, as well as he.

Not seeming to notice the outburst, Howard set the tray on the dresser, never looking towards the bed. Turning, he said quietly in a somewhat shaky voice, "Mr. Victor's apologies, Mr. Jamir. He sends his regrets that he will not be available today."

Stu's instincts went on alert at the man's shaky demeanor. "What's going on? Is something wrong?" he asked. Had Annie's body not been so entwined with his, he would have jumped out of the bed and made the man answer some questions, but the door soon closed behind him.

"Mmm, Stu?" he heard to his right. He looked down to see Annie stirring.

"Annie, wake up, Something's happened," Stu said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

The intensity in Stu's voice woke Annie, and her eyes flew open, looking directly into his. Their nearness was so reminiscent of a few hours ago, she gasped, and she lowered her eyes from his, a sudden shyness sweeping over her.

Watching her cheeks suddenly color, Stu smiled. Even flustered, she was beautiful, he thought. "No, no, it's nothing like that," he whispered. "Howard just barged in here with coffee. I think something's happened with Victor."

"Howard?"

"Yeah," Stu said, "He seemed really scared and nervous. I think it has something to do with what we heard last night, on the phone?"

As the information got through to her, Stu watched as she straightened, and then sat up out of his embrace. "So Howard's back, but not Victor?" she asked.

Stu nodded, and then smiled as she ripped the blankets off of them, and clambered over his legs to the suitcase. "Get dressed," she said. "We've gotta go talk to Howard, see if he can tell us anything more, and then call Auggie."

Stu caught the tee and jeans she threw his way, staring at the woman before him who could so easily switch between shy and cuddling to badass CIA agent within a matter of seconds. If a man weren't careful, he'd find himself falling -

"Come on, Stu, hurry up," Annie said, grabbing her own clothes and walking into the bathroom.

Hand-in-hand, Stu and Annie walked into the photo studio. Spying Howard sitting in the same chair Victor sat in when they first arrived, they walked over to him, sitting on the couch.

"Everything okay, Howard?" Annie asked, softly.

"Yes, of course," Howard said quietly, refusing to meet their eyes. "Just thinking about Victor."

"Yeah, where is he? I thought we had another photo shoot today," Stu said. "I mean, our agency okayed staying for a bit longer, but if he's not going to be here -"

"No, no, you must stay," Howard protested. "Victor would be so upset if you left, he -" his voice broke off, and Annie could swear he was close to crying.

"Is there anything we can do?" she asked.

"No, nothing," Howard said, his voice breaking as the threatening tears welled up in his eyes. "There is nothing anyone can do."

Standing up quickly, Howard half-ran to Victor's suite, slamming and locking the door behind him.

Annie stood, grabbing Stu's hand, and led him out of the building. Once they were on the street, she pulled her cellphone from her pocket and dialed Auggie's number.

"Models 'r' Us, how may I direct your call?" came the joking answer when he picked up.

"Auggie, Victor's mising," Annie said quickly. "We think he didn't come back from wherever he went last night."

Quickly sobering up, Auggie asked, "You think? Didn't you hear him come home last night?"

Annie looked over at Stu, flashes of last night coming to her. "No, we were pretty exhausted, slept right through the night."

"Damn. Okay, Annie, I'm going to give you the address where the thumb drive went to. Promise me you'll only check it out. Just gather the intel, and then get back to me. Or call the local police."

Annie sighed, then said, "Okay, I promise." As Auggie recited the number and street address, Annie said, "Thanks, Auggie. We'll get back to you."

"Well?" Stu asked, "What's next?"

"Come on," Annie said, twining her fingers with his and setting off down the road. "We're gonna go rescue Victor."

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Annie glanced down at Stu's hand gripping her fingers as they rode in the cab through the London traffic. Leaning over, she whispered to him, "You could have stayed back at Victor's, you know, if you think -"

Stu swung his gaze to hers, "And let you go alone? What kind of guy do you think I am?" he asked.

Annie blinked at him, the intent look in his eyes giving her strength. "A very brave one, actually," she said, squeezing his fingers.

The cab pulled up a block away from the address, where Annie had instructed the driver, and after paying, they emerged as Jamir and Amy, strolling along, arm-in-arm. They paused as they approached the address, a nondescript building, much like the warehouse-like domicile of Victor's. Nodding to Stu, Annie subtly steered them down the alley that ran the length of the building.

A cracked, dusty window loomed ahead, and with Stu following, his hand never leaving hers, Annie crept toward it. She swore she heard a voice, and as she got nearer, she realized she was right. Looking back at Stu, she put her finger to her lips, then pointed at the window.

Stu nodded, trusting her instincts completely, but still wondering what she planned on doing. "Rescuing Victor" seemed somewhat risky in his mind, but she seemed so sure, so full of energy and confident, all he could do was follow her.

Getting as close to the cracked window as she could without being seen, Annie trained her hearing to the voices inside.

"Please, please, just let me go, I'll do whatever you want."

Recognizing Victor's voice, Annie pulled Stu closer to her, whispering in his ear, "Victor's in there."

"You have already been given that chance," came another voice, low and sinister. "We gave you simple instructions, and you fail even those."

"But you don't understand, I can't let them leave, not yet. My book -"

"To hell with your book!"

What sounded like a slap and Victor crying out echoed from the building.

"They were to leave last night. They did not. Now my people are wondering where their package is. Tell me, Victor, do you wish to make me look like a fool?"

"Of - of course not, but if you could only explain to them -"

Another slap, and Annie tensed, every muscle and instinct on guard. Only Stu's tight grip on her hand kept her from jumping up and peering through the window.

"I am through explaining. You've disappointed me for the last time."

As the unmistakable sounds of beating came through the cracked glass, Annie took a step forward, looking for a way to open the window and gain access.

Feeling a jerk on her hand, she stumbled back. "Stu, what are you doing? They're going to kill him."

"You're not going in there," Stu said, emphatically.

"I'm not?" she replied, unbelievingly.

"Annie, you don't know who all's in there, how many of them are in there," Stu said, pulling her further away. It grew quiet within, and he said quickly, "I can't follow you in, you know that. What if something happens to you?"

Annie felt torn between her ingrained instincts and Stu's pleading, and throwing her head back, said, "We have to do something."

"Call the police," Stu said. "Tell them -"

Annie didn't let him finish and quickly pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed the emergency services number. "Hello? Hi, my name's Amy, Amy Scott. I think someone's been kidnapped. Yes, kidnapped! You see, I'm a model, and I had a photo shoot scheduled today with a photographer named Victor Smith. Have you heard of him? Well, he's very famous. No matter, the only important part is that he didn't show, and his assistant told us where he went. We - yes, we, my boyfriend, Jamir, is here with me. We went to the address, but nooby answered the door. We looked in the window, and we saw Victor tied up to a chair! Some guy was beating him, and - No, I'm not joking. Please come out here, please?"

Stu stared wide-eyed at Annie's convincing performance, and as she finished up the call, giving the address before hanging up, he smiled at her. "Thanks, Annie. I know you wanted to -"

"No, you were right," Annie said, slipping the phone back in her pocket. "We're hardly in a position to be of any help to Victor now, and we don't really know the entire story, do we?"

Stu shook his head. "So what do we do now?"

Annie grasped his arm and tilted her head, "We keep our covers, wait for the police to arrive, watching from a suitable distance, check in with Auggie, and then make our way back to the warehouse."

Annie watched from the bench they sat at across the street as Victor's assailant, a somewhat brute of a man from what she could see, being manhandled out of the building, spitting and swearing. Two others followed, and Annie gulped at the size of them, as well. She couldn't believe she was ready to charge into that situation.

Sliding closer to Stu, she nudged him with her elbow, nodding towards the men across the street. "Thanks," she said simply.

Nodding his understanding, Stu put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

As they both watched, a crying and bleeding Victor came out, walking, but with two uniformed men on either side, holding him up. He climbed, broken but alive, into the back of a waiting ambulance. As the vehicles sped away, sirens blazing, Annie leaned back into Stu's embrace and removed her cellphone from her pocket again.

Auggie answered after a couple of rings. "Hey, Annie. Good news?"

"Uhh, yeah, how did you know?"

An answering laugh came across the line, "You didn't think you were alone there, were you?"

"Auggie, why didn't you say something earlier?" Annie asked, frowning. "We could have used some help."

"Because you were undercover, of course," Auggie replied. "Our guys will take care of what was found in Donaldson's house. As far as we can tell, Victor was nothing but a middleman, paid to slip the drives into the models' suitcases as they came and went. His decision to keep Jamir on longer than planned precipitated all this. He may have come out of all this the worse for wear, but he'll survive."

Annie sighed, slightly annoyed at being kept so far out of the loop. Hearing Auggie's answering chuckle, she said, "So what do you want us to do now?"

"Go back to the warehouse, tell that Howard guy, or whatever his name is, that your agency can't wait any longer for you, and come home."

"Understood. See you tomorrow, then." Annie shut the phone off and slipped it into her pocket.

"Guess it's over now, huh?" Stu asked.

"Yeah, went quicker than I thought," Annie said, chuckling. "And I didn't get shot at. That's always a plus in my book."

Stu wished he could join in her laughter, but his thoughts were racing, to tomorrow, the day after, when life would return to normal, and he'd be back behind his desk. Delving back into his modeling past had left an oddly bitter taste in his mouth, and he was oddly relieved to be able to shake free of it again.

The next 24 hours passed by so quickly, Stu wasn't sure how to process it all. When they'd arrived back at Victor's place, Howard had already left. Annie had looked around for him and for the computers, but found both missing. She'd called the info into Auggie, who didn't seem too worried. They'd been able to get enough information off Victor's laptop to implicate Howard, if it was needed.

So they packed quickly and took the next available flight back to the States. Now that the mission was over, so were their need for covers, and Stu welcomed the change. Keeping up the pretense of being another person, especially one whose profession he hated, didn't sit well with him.

He and Annie had parted at the airport, taking separate cabs home to grab their own clothes before reporting back to work. Joan insisted on immediate debriefing, and that alone took several hours as he and Annie were interviewed separately, and then together.

He'd been able to sleep a few hours on the plane, but exhaustion was weighing on him again, and he slipped away to an empty conference room for some quiet. That's where Annie found him, a couple of hours later.

"Hey, Stu, I was looking for you. You okay?"

Lifting his head from where it lay on on his arms, Stu looked up to see Annie smiling at him from the doorway.

"Yeah, just tired. Not used to all this jetsetting lifestyle, you know," he smiled back. He then noticed that her hair was no longer dark, but the same bright sunshine blonde as before. "Back to normal now, huh?"

"Yeah, for me," Annie said, fingering a lock of her hair. "It'll take about a month, though, for your hair to grow back." Walking over to him, she ran her fingers through his shortened, dark hair.

"It's okay, my hair grow fast," Stu said, swallowing at the feel of her touch.

"Sure you don't want to keep it like this, though? That whole faux-hawk thing kind of suited you," Annie teased, taking the chair next to him.

"You liked it?" Stu asked, frowning. "It's not me, Annie. It never was."

"I - I know that," Annie said, sitting back a bit. "It's just - well, Jamir was a bit -"

"Sexy? Handsome? I remember the whistles I got walking into the DPD as him," Stu replied. "Is that what you were attracted to?"

"Well, I -" Annie said, her voice stammering at the blunt question.

Stu dropped his gaze from her face to his hands. "Yeah, that's what I thought. We did good work over there, Annie, you know. And I'm glad I was able to help out."

Standing, he walked around the table to leave, but his hand on the doorknob was stayed by her voice.

"So that's it?" Annie asked, her voice rising. "You're just walking away? What about -"

"Annie, I want you to think about something," Stu said, glancing back at her. "When we were lying in that bed, all alone, no need to keep up the covers, no pretense, who were you kissing? Me or Jamir?"

The sudden, intense flashes of those two nights, especially the last when he'd held her so tight, she found it hard to breathe, momentarily froze Annie as her body involuntarily responded to the remembered warmth.

Her hesitancy in answering, though, gave Stu the answer he was afraid of, and without another word, he turned the door handle and left the room.

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

The door shut with such a finality that Annie jumped at the sound. She stared at it for a full minute, Stu's words echoing in her ears. "Who were you kissing? Me or Jamir?"

She knew the answer, of course, and had known it since she woke up in his arms that morning. What she didn't realize until a minute ago was that Stu didn't know. How could he think that her attraction to him only came with a haircut and designer jeans? Because it did, she reminded herself.

No, it didn't, she thought. Well, maybe at first, and maybe all this wouldn't have happened if they weren't thrown together in such an emotional hothouse, but he had to know it was her in his arms that night, it was her who leaned in to kiss him at the photo shoot.

Standing, she knew she had to find him, had to tell him, had to make sure she wasn't too late.

She'd opened the door and ran out, only to barrel into Auggie, who caught her by the arms, steadying her.

"Whoa there. Annie?" he asked.

"Yeah, Auggie, do you know where Stu went?"

"He's down in tech ops, why?"

"I need to see him," Annie said, taking a step around him.

"In a minute, I have something for you," Auggie said, pulling her back into the conference room. "Here," he said, handing a small smartcard to her.

"What's this?" Annie asked, taking it from him.

"Don't know, Joan said to make sure you got it. Howard's been found. Our contact over in London confiscated his and Victor's equipment. Sent this over to us."

Intrigued, Annie opened the laptop on the table and slid the disk in. When the contents of the disk began to appear across the screen, an audible gasp left her.

"What is it?" Auggie asked. Not hearing a reply, he repeated, "Annie? What's on the disk?"

Annie slid her fingers across the keyboard, flipping through the many images. "Pictures from the photo shoot," she whispered. Victor's finger had apparently laid heavy on the camera's shutter, and she was watching what amounted to a near realtime playback of those wonderful minutes when she lay, half naked, in Stu's arms, their lips locked together.

She could almost feel his strong arm against her back again, the warmth of his body against hers, and the thought that she might never experience that again caused a sob to escape her throat. "Auggie, what am I going to do?" she whispered.

"Do?" Auggie asked.

"He thinks I was just pretending the whole time, acting the role, even when we -" Annie's voice broke off.

Whoa, Auggie thought. Seems his two closest friends had gotten closer than he thought in the few days they were gone. It certainly explained Stu's current mood, when he'd slammed into tech ops and refused to talk to him. He just thought the man was tired from the trip, but seeing how Annie was behaving now, he quickly put two and two together.

"And you weren't, were you?" he asked gently.

"No," she answered simply, quietly.

Nodding, Auggie placed his hand on her shoulder, "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Walking quickly down the hall, Auggie slipped back into his office. He heard Stu pounding away on his computer.

"Stu? Need you in the conference room."

"Can it wait?" Stu asked. "I've got a lot of work to catch up on."

"It's about the case you were just on, more intel came in," Auggie explained. "Need you to go through it."

Sighing, Stu stood up and followed Auggie out of the office and back down the hall. They'd nearly reached the conference room when Auggie grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Before you go in there, I have a question for you," Auggie asked.

"What is it?"

"I've been talking to Annie," Auggie said. "About what happened over in London."

"Yeah?" Stu asked, wondering where he was going with this.

"About what really happened in London," Auggie said.

Seeing the compassionate and somewhat understanding look on his face, Stu took a step back. "Ohh."

"Yeah, 'ohh.' Tell me, Stu, you really think Annie's so shallow she'd be the type to fall for hair gel and designer clothes?"

"No, of course not," Stu stated.

Auggie smiled, and crossing his arms in front of his chest, quirked an eyebrow at his friend. He waited, and thankfully, it only took a few seconds for his meaning to get through to Stu.

"Oh, damn."

"Exactly," Auggie said, opening the conference room door and shoving Stu inside. He shut the door quickly and leaned against the wall.

Annie jumped up as the door opened, and she saw Stu stumble in. Auggie's smiling face flashed in the doorway as he shut the door behind Stu.

"Annie, I -" Stu started to say before seeing her face. Tears glistened in her eyes before she turned her head away and sat back down on the chair.

Realizing he was the reason for the sadness, Stu felt the resolve he'd set since he first left the room melt. Auggie's words came back to him, and he blurted out, "I don't think you're shallow."

"What?" Annie asked, her eyes flying to him. "Why would you think -"

"No, I - I don't mean -" Stu sank down in the chair beside her, frustrated.

Annie turned to him and took his hands in hers. With a feeling of deja vu, she realized they were in a similar position just days ago. So much had happened in so short a period of time, though.

Feeling Annie's hands in his, Stu said, "I didn't want to believe this was real."

"It always was, Stu. I know we were just posing, playing a role, but -"

"I'd been down that road before, you see, in college. At first, I never understood how girls could be all over me in front of the camera, but would never talk to me in the hall. I soon learned how to disengage, though, to survive."

"Is that what you thought was happening?"

Stu nodded, "I wanted to believe it was real, but -"

Annie placed her hand on his jaw, forcing his face up. "Does this feel real to you? Look at me, Stu. Jamir and Amy are gone. We're still here."

Seeing the frustration and uncertainty in his eyes, Annie framed his face in her hands and lowered her lips to his in a short, searing kiss. For a second, she almost believed her instincts were wrong, but soon his hands were on her face, as well, and he was returning her kiss.

Stu couldn't believe what was happening, that she was here, kissing him without pretense, without the knowledge that they were forced to be.

Pulling his mouth from hers, he smiled, then laughed and gathered her in his arms. He felt hers twine around his neck, and they stayed there for a few minutes, before a soft knock at the door broke them apart.

With a groan of dissastifaction, Annie called out, "Auggie, you can come in, if you want."

The door opened, and Auggie took a step inside. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I wanted to know if you two were free for that round of drinks you owe me."

"We're buying you drinks?" Annie asked, laughing. "Why would we do that?"

"Because if it weren't for me, you'd still be in here crying over photographs, and Stu would be pouting over his computer, instead of hugging and kissing," Auggie said matter-of-factedly. "That is what I heard, right?"

"What do you say, Annie?" Stu asked, standing up and holding out his hand to her. "Think the man deserves a drink?"

"Maybe one," Annie answered, placing her hand in his. Together, they followed a smirking Auggie out of the room.

THE END


End file.
